


Ruby and Mother Earth

by AlexanderTemple



Category: Original Work
Genre: Environment, Future, Global Warming, Life - Freeform, Natural Disasters, biography, change, climate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:35:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26425741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexanderTemple/pseuds/AlexanderTemple
Summary: This is the life of Ruby. She was born in 2020 and will live her life through the climate changes we all have been warned about.Read about how she deals with it, and how she fights for happiness and trying to still be optimistic.Will she survive? What will her world look like?
Comments: 3
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**2020**

  
I was born into a small family in 2020, I had a brother whose name was Sven that was 3 years older than me. My mother worked as a teacher and my dad worked in a bank. My mother called me Ruby because, at a time when people were afraid and insecure, she thought that my birth was a miracle, and it showed hope for the future. 

I knew nothing about the world when I was born. The only thing I knew was how to get milk from mom and sleep. I knew how to scream and cry every time I could not get something. I wonder what would happen if I knew how sick the world we lived in was. While I would be sleeping, the TV would be spitting news out about the world. The world was warming up and it would soon be destroyed. Animals were going extinct and there were more people than the world could feed. 

On top of that, we had a Coronavirus that kept on coming and going. It made people afraid and it disrupted the life that they all liked. Some were even asking would we have more and more sickness in the future like Corona?

Because of Corona and the Brexit, the economy was now very bad. Businesses were being closed and more and more people were being unemployed. People had less money. 

Maybe it was a good thing I did not understand anything as I was being born. I would be told that the world is dying and I would experience it!

Then again, maybe some would tell me that there were good things that were happening. There was a green movement active in the world and people did care. There was less poverty and more and more were being educated. The world was a fairer place and more and more had rights. The point is both good things and bad things were happening. 

Life is not that bad. When we are born, we do not need to worry about the world, the economy, or politics. We just slept and ate. 

*********************************************************************

**2021**  
_**I was one year old.** _

This was the year that Mom had been infected by the Coronavirus. There had been some vaccines, but the distribution of these vaccines was very political. China did not want our country to have the vaccine they made, as they thought we often criticized them. The Americans had their vaccine, but they wanted to use it on their own people first. So when I needed my mom the most in my life, she was sick with Corona, and I couldn't be close to her. This is nothing that a 1-year-old could understand

My dad also lost his job because Corona was bad for the economy. This made him worried and upset most of the time. He did not like being home all the time and thought that he would never get work again. The only thing I noticed was that he was often home, and did not want to take care of me. 

I went to live with my grandparents because my parents could not take care of me. It was at this time, I started to say some words and play a lot more. My grandparents treated me well, and I do not think that I was old enough to miss my parents. 

  
*********************************************************************

**2022**  
_**I was 2 years old.** _

By now, I was speaking a lot and could understand a lot of things. 

I remember that mom was no longer sick, but the sickness still affected her. She often had pains and could forget things. She was very afraid that I would get Corona, so she always wore a mask when she visited me. The good thing was that there was now a vaccine for Corona, so everyone thought things would get back to normal. 

Dad still had no work.

I loved living with my grandparents. I would help granny bake and clean the house. She would always praise me and say I was like an angel. I loved it when she would give me a bubble bath. She would always make sure there were so many bubbles. I loved it when she would brush my hair and put different decorations on it. 

Grandpa was funny. He was so political. I knew nothing about politics at this stage. I would rather see cartoons. However, Grandpa would stare at the TV, while I sat on his lap. He would shout and discuss things with the TV. I thought this was so funny, as did he not know that the TV could not hear him?

Like once the TV announced that India now had more people than China. India now had 1.4 billion people and their population would continue to grow. Grandpa was upset over this and asked the TV if the Indian people never heard of birth control. He blamed India for all the spam phone calls he had with people trying to scam money from him. Now he was sure there would be more calls!

There was one time when the news lady said that there were constant water shortages and electricity shortages in the South East USA. This was because of climate change and that there was more demand for water. The people that lived there used water in dams and these were now nearly empty. The dams could not even make electricity. Grandpa shouted once again and said that this will lead to unrest and even riots. 

I did not understand a word of what the news lady said or grandpa I remember it just made me giggle, as it was funny when he spoke with a TV.

One thing I did understand is that Mom wanted me out of diapers. She mentioned that they were bad for the environment and I was old enough to be potty trained. Grandma thought that I was not ready yet. 

Grandma and mom also fought about where I should live. I did not like it when they fought. I did not like it when they threatened each other with courts. I did not understand a lot but it made me cry every time they talked about it.   
In the end, I moved back with mom and dad. Mom promised that she would never speak to her parents again.

  
*********************************************************************

**2023**  
_**I was 3 years old.** _

I lived back with my mom and dad and older brother. Mom was in a good mood, as she thought that her family was back together. Sven was also started at school. This left me home with Dad who has not yet had a job. I was getting sadder and sadder every day as I missed my grandparents. 

Dad just watched TV, but he didn't even speak with it. After weeks of being sad, mom took me to the doctor. The doctor was a young woman that said I had depression. Mom wanted some tablets, but the doctor refused to give her any medicine for me. 

Mom was worried and broke her promise never to speak with grandma again. They made a deal that my grandparents would come a few times a week and be with me. This was a compromise that in time made me smile again. 

Dad got work at a small bank in a little town by the sea. My parents were so excited about moving here as a small town is the best place to bring up children. We would have plenty of fresh air and we could even grow our own vegetables. My grandparents could still visit me, but they would have to drive an hour more. 

The cottage was an old whitewashed cottage, and Sven and I loved it. There was a garden outside and lots of room to play in.

Mom and Dad were happy a few months until they heard there would be a windmill farm being built close to our cottage. Now they knew why the house was so cheap. They joined a group that protested against this. They argued that the value of land would drop and the windmill farm would be noisy. The town was divided as many thought that even our small town had to make sacrifices because of the climate crises. Who could argue against this? The windmill farm was built close to us. 

I still liked it when Grandpa watched the TV. I remember once I sat on his lap and there was news about some countries that blocked other countries from getting water because the source of the water was in their country. This mostly happened in developing countries and the UN said there could be wars because some upstream countries are now using their water resources for economic and political leverage over their downstream neighbors. Grandpa got mad at the TV and shouted that people should share. 

  
*********************************************************************

**2024**  
_**I was 4 years old.** _

I was finally out of diapers. I was now a bigger girl and could understand more and more.

The year did not start so well. There were floods in our town. At first, I thought this was strange, that the water kept rising. Even when it came in the cottage and we had water that came up to our ankles. I admit that I was afraid and asked mom if we will all become mermaids. Mom smiled and said that we were lucky. In other towns, the water came so high up, that people were evacuated in boats. I thought it was bad enough at our house, as we had no electricity. 

Dad was happy since we moved here. He was happy that he had a new job and mom even got a job as a teacher here. He even accepted the windmill farms. He was not too happy about the floods and said that it meant that our insurance would go up. 

Worse was after the flood went and things got back to normal. The government announced it would cost a lot more to have a petrol car, as the government wanted us to but electric cars. Dad did not trust this new technology and thought the government was scaring people with all the "green talk"

I remember that after one of Dad's rants, he gave me a hug and said that I was lucky that I did not understand what was happening. 

I met my first friend. She lived close by and was the same age as me. Her name was Abbie. We were allowed to visit each other a lot and play. Abbie was a happy girl that always made me smile. I wish that she was my sister. 

Christmas was always my favorite time of the year. However, this Christmas would be one of the saddest. Grandma died on Christmas eve. 

  
*********************************************************************

_**To be continued** _


	2. Chapter 2

**2025**  
_**I was 5 years old.** _

Christmas was so sad. We went back to the big city. I did not quite understand the concept of death. I knew flowers and dogs died, but it was so hard to understand that I would never see Granny again. She was such a big part of my life and now she was gone forever. Others tried to console me and say that Grandma was in heaven and in peace. I did not like this! Grandma should have been with me! 

Momma sat down with me and brushed my long hair saying she was also sad. She loved her mom so much that she knew she would miss her. However, each of us was on the earth for a short while. This also included plants and animals as well as humans. We all die at one stage so others can be born. This should have helped me, but it just put a seed in my head that maybe someday I would lose some others that I loved.

After, the funeral, we could not go home. There were floods again, but Dad said that this time they were far worse. Half of our house was underwater. Dad was complaining that moving could have been a mistake. Every year our house was being flooded. Gramps said we could expect more flooding in the future. Dad was worried about insurance. 

I understood our house was flooded. It really didn't bother me, as it was fun staying with grandpa. It was only when we went home, that I was worried that my toys would be destroyed. I did find out that water does a lot of damage

When we came home, Mom and Dad were busy in another protest group. They wanted the town to build flood controls. They argued that scientists said the sea level could raise a meter of the next few decades. The town people were tired of floods every year. It would take this group years for the government to pay for such a project and by then it would be too late.  
  
The government also refused a new method of distilling water. An aging infrastructure, droughts, and water under the ground would make water more scarce. desalination plants would remove the salt from saline water. It was now a costly project and mainly popular in the Middle East. 

I noticed that mom and dad were fighting more. The big argument this year was about meat. Mom read that eating meat was bad for the environment. She wanted us to stop eating meat. The argument went on for months. In the end, Mom stopped cooking meat and Dad often went to some fast food place to get a taste of it. 

**********************************************************

**2026**  
_**I was 6 years old.** _

This year, I started school. I felt like I was a big girl now. It also meant that I could be with Abbie all the time. We were best friends at school and did everything together. After school, I would visit her, and we would have so much fun. I did not like her coming to our house, as Mom and Dad were always fighting. I promised myself that I would never marry.

We had the same floods once again, so we stayed with grandpa once again. This was both fun and bad. I loved it when he would argue with the TV. There was a lot in the news about ash trees. There used to be nearly 100 million of them in the UK. Now there were none. A fungus had been their enemies for decades and now finally had won the war. This upset grandpa a lot, as he said the countryside did not look like it did when he was young. There was a spooky silence in the country, as the absence of trees affected the wildlife. He mentioned wildlife was dwindling in size. He wished I could hear when the birds sing in the chorus.

I was happy to get back home. Our cottage was looking worse and worse every year, with water damage on furniture and the cottage itself. At least I would not have online classes and I could be with Abbie. 

I did not like listening to the news. It was only bad news. The government announced that there were now 70 million people in the country, and we would soon be the largest country in Europe. They blamed immigrants for everything. The growing population was putting a lot of stress on public services, and the country could not afford to improve them. This fear was mirrored in the people. Most people I knew hated immigrants, especially Muslims. 

The summer was great. While we had floods in the winter, there was no rain for 5 months in the summer. The temperature was above 30 degrees Celcius every day. This meant that Abbie and I played every day outside. The only bad thing was that we could not use water as that was now against the law. We were lucky though that we lived by the coast. Mom took us down to the seaside, so we could cool down. 

While we were happy, the farmers were not. Many could not produce enough crops and many farmers went bankrupt. 

**********************************************************

**2027**  
_**I was 7 years old.** _

Things looked better this year and this was good, as I was now understanding a lot of problems the world had. There was no flood, which in a way was strange, as we were so used to it every year. 

Dad even bought an El car, despite that he vowed that he never would. Petrol cars cost so much that he was forced to do this. He didn't complain about that car, except that new water restrictions meant that he could not wash it so much. 

They even started putting carbon emission trees on roadways. These looked like white flyswatters and were about 10 meters high. They remove the carbon from the cars. Another thing that has become more popular was strips or algae that are fitted on the side of buildings. The government has begun to store CO2which these flyswatters remove underground. 

All this has helped. The country has reduced its CO2 levels by 50% since 1990 levels.  
  
We were reminded that this may not be enough. The summer was once again hot and this meant that crops have failed. Mom complained that the price of food increased a lot. The failure of the crops meant that people panicked, and hamstered for food when it was announced. At times, shop shelves were empty and prices just went up and up. 

The worse news that year was that Abbie moved. Her parents wanted better jobs in the city. This caused me to be sad once again. The doctor said I had a depression and I was put on medication. When gramps heard this, he was mad. He asked what sort of world do we live in when a 7-year-old gets happy pills?

**********************************************************

**2028**  
_**I was 8 years old.** _

I had new friends after Abbie left, but none of them were like Abbie. 

I was also now fully aware of the climate crises. It was hard to avoid as the news was full of it. Everyone talked about it, even at school. The message we got was the world was doomed, and it was all our fault. Mother Earth was about to be in a coma, and in the end, she would die. Of course, this worried me. I was still a child and believed everything that was told. I could not stop thinking that everyone I loved would die because the world would die. 

The summer was once again hot, even hotter than last year, and this meant that the harvest failed once again. Farmers were mad and afraid. How could they farm in the future? The government started several programs trying to get farmers to change their habits and grow food that the climate changes would allow. The prime minister also announced that it was important that our country would be self-sufficient. 

Dad was as grumpy as ever, especially when a new law was passed that it was self-driving cars and trucks were now allowed. This upset a lot of people, especially Dad. He asked if machines were now taking over the world and he refused to believe that it was safe!

**********************************************************

**2029**  
_**I was 9 years old.** _

I could see now how sick Mother Earth was. Our town was once again flooded and even our cottage was nearly underwater. The summer was hotter than last year, and once again broke a record for the hottest summer in the world. 

It seemed like the whole world was having problems with food, as the variety of food we once had was becoming more and more seldom. The world was having problems producing food. This was not helped by the increasing population and climate changes. Gramps told me that we were spoiled. We got used to living in a world where we bought too much and mass-produced things. It would be hard for us when there would be less food and even water. 

We were not the worse off. Bangkok once had a population of 12 million people. Now, most of the people were leaving the city, as it was quickly sinking underwater. The city was built on clay and some of it was even built under sea level. It is hard to think that millions of people are forced to leave their homes and try to start a new life someplace else. Scientists say that in 70 years, the whole city will be underwater!

Governments across the world try to combat these changes. In our country, the government made a law that petrol cars or trucks can no longer be in cities. They think this will help a lot. At least the people in cities have cleaner air. The problem is this caused a lot of trouble. Many did not have money to buy new electric cars. This was also for the business that delivered goods. Public transport did not improve, so shops in cities complained that they had no customers. Grandpa lived in the city. He was happy as it was quieter. 

In Hong Kong, it has become so serious that they are building islands so that 1 million people can live on them. The first residents will move there in 5 years. 

I did my bit for Mother Earth by joining the scouts. It was fun being with others and we could learn how to live in nature and respect it. 

**********************************************************

**2030**  
_**I was 10 years old.** _

The flood came very fast this year. It was so scary. We went to bed one evening as usual and the flood suddenly came and night. The next day we did not go to school as it was closed and the water became higher and higher. We ended up on the roof of the cottage and hoped that someone would save us. I was never so scared. What would happen if we were not rescued? I could not swim that far. I think mom and I cried a lot as we sat on the roof and waited and waited. In the end, a small boat came and helped us go to a place that was no longer flooded. 

Despite I had happy tablets, I could see no hope. There were now 2 billion more people in the world than there was in the year 2000. Most lived in poor or developing countries, but it would affect us all. There would be less water and food for each person, and the risks of global pandemics will increase. The news was already full of conflicts because of fewer resources. 

Even in my country, there has become an increasing hatred for immigrants. They were blamed for using "our" food and taking "our" jobs. Some immigrants were even attacked on the streets and even their homes. 

The world was changing. The last printed newspaper was closed in ur country, saying that they were obsolete and people read their news online now. It would also be a question of time before TVs would be obsolete. 

Mom no longer wanted to live here. She was tired of the floods every year and all her friends moving back to the city. This caused a lot of fights with Dad, who wanted to stay. It was hard for Sven and me, that heard our parents argue every time they saw each other. I was afraid that they would get divorced. This meant that I was sad and often cried myself to sleep. 

The day came when Mom told me that she was divorcing my dad. 

**********************************************************

_**To be continued** _


	3. Chapter 3

**2031**   
_**I was 11 years old.** _

  
It was like the world fell apart when Mom and Dad got a divorce. I felt like it was somehow my fault. If I didn't need happy pills because I was often sad, maybe life would have been easier for them. Now it was as if I was losing my dad. I knew that the majority of parents got a divorce and why should I be any different? Still, it put me in depression once again. I would look at pictures of me as a toddler and want to be able to smile like that. 

Mom and I moved to the city and lived with my grandpa. He lived in a small flat in a huge apartment block. I was no longer in a rural area and it took me some time to be around so many people. Mom was lucky enough to once again find a job as a teacher. This meant that once again, I spent a lot of time with my grandpa. He even managed to make me smile.

Sven was now 14 and decided to live with Dad. They lived at the cottage until Dad lost his job at the bank. Then the both moved to the opposite side of the city. I still have seen my Dad every second weekend. I used all my time cleaning his flat as it was always so busy. The saddest part was that Dad gave up all hope. He said over and over again that the world was changing too fast. He could not find his place in it. He even gave up looking for a job, and just was a shell of what he used to be. 

The desalination plants that separated salt from the water was now big business. They predict that 80% of the water we drink in the future will come from one of these plants. This being said, it looks very gloomy, as scientists predict there will be major water shortages. This will be very disastrous in poorer countries, but we will also feel it in our country. Our government decided that we had to build some as well. It's about time that they woke up

The news made me so depressed. There was news that most of the animals we knew in the UK were disappearing. This included hedgehogs, squirrels, and even toads! Grandpa told me what it was like when he was younger. It saddened him that even butterflies were now so scarce. He blamed humans for pollution, pesticides, and giving nature no place. 

During springtime, I had headaches and I found it hard breathing. Mom took me to the doctor and she said I had allergies. So now I had extra medicine to help me breathe. Grandpa used this opportunity to remind us when he was a boy, there were not so many his age that had allergies. I found out later that this was not true. In the past, more children died than they do now!

* * *

**2032**   
_**I was 12 years old.** _

This was a bad year for Grandpa. First, the government announced that the TV stations will phase out over 3 years. This was because more and more TV stations closed and were now streaming their content on the Internet. The same with normal TV programs. Netflix and Disney+ was destroying the traditional TV culture. This did not sadden me. The only time that I really watched TV was when Grandpa looked at the news. It was still funny when he talked with the box. Otherwise, I saw most things on my tablet.

Another big shock for Grandpa was around Easter. Mom had been buying all the food since we moved here. So Grandpa must have forgotten the price of things. He asked why there was no chocolate for Easter. I could not remember the last time I had chocolate! Mom tried to explain that the world has changed, Most of the cacao could no longer be grown in places, because of drought and soil depletion. This meant that chocolate was nearly as expensive as caviar. I felt sorry for grandpa, so I took all my savings and bought him a cholate bar. 

It was revealed today that British society is changing quite fast. More and more people have their life on virtual computer experiences. Religion is no longer important. Those that work are more stressed. This has led to fewer marriages. In fact, 60% of couples no longer get married. The government is worried that the birth rate has declined. They are also worried that immigrants, especially Muslims are growing in numbers so quickly and their birth rate is going up. This would mean a huge change to our country and could lead to tensions. 

My Dad has also emerged himself in a virtual world on the Net. He defends himself by saying its a world he knows and feels safe in. This also means that he lost all his friends in the real world and even finds it hard to spend time with me when I visit. Svenja and I no longer speak with each other. He hangs around with a gang that never seems up to anything good. When Svenja does speak, it sounds like he is always mad and bitter. I was very worried about him.

I tried to get involved in improving the world. I was still a scout and loved being in nature. It also worried me when Grandpa talked about what the world was like in his youth. What will the world look like when I had grandparents?

It was at this time, that I speculated that only the smart will survive. A person needed to be intelligent to have a job. Machines and computers would do the manual work. I had my childhood years to be prepared. I decided I wanted to help the world and I wanted a job that would do this. I became a bookworm and studied a lot

* * *

**2033**   
_**I was 13 years old.** _

I was a teenager now and started puberty. I was no longer a child!

The winter was very cold. The Thames river in London even froze. The weather was never so cold in the UK. Scientists said it reminded them of ice age conditions. Thousands of people died because of the cold. This was sad. Another problem was that many could not go out as sometimes the conditions were so bad. It was hard to think that we lived in a land of ice with winter storms, and flooding. In 6 months, we would have a drought. 

The strange thing was that the scientists said that climate change really has not hurt the UK such as other countries. Countries in Asia and Africa and North and South America were hurting more, especially in the poorer countries!

The cold winter we experienced was not something we had to get used to. We would have warmer winters, which meant more rain and more floods!

A war has started in Thailand and Laos over water. This has worried the United Nations as the lack of water in many countries is causing some tensions. This was the first war where water is blamed to be the main fighting point. It is expected that wars will break out in different parts of the world, especially the developing countries. The British government has responded to this by radically increasing our defense budget, mainly to be used in the navy. Grandpa said that he predicted this years ago. I wish he predicted peace. 

In western countries, including the UK, unemployment has become a problem, as it soars up every year. Since self-driving became legal, there were no longer needs for drivers and the restaurants and the economic network they supported. More and more self-driving cars were on the roads. In manufacturing, robots were taking over the work. Even in the service industry, there was less need for people in banks, shops, or jobs where a brain was needed. Computer ai's were becoming very powerful. Economists warned that the ordinary person had to get used to life as unemployed. This made me study more. 

It also gave me a depression, where I could not get out of bed. Grandpa ended up coming to my bedside and tell me the world does not need pessimist people. Human beings can adapt to changes. He told me the world needs optimistic people that can change the world. There should always be hope!

* * *

**2034**   
_**I was 14 years old.** _

This year started with some optimism, despite the rain and the floods. 

  
The government, as well as many Europeans and the Americans, has formed a common space project where they would spend more money on space than they have done on defense. The idea was simple. We had to save the earth, but we also needed a plan B. We needed to find another planet, where we could send people and in this way cause less strain on our planet. It was now that I became a Star Trek fan, which was a very old TV series in my grandpa's days. It was fun as Grandpa and I watched these series. 

It was also announced that there were now 1 billion robots in the world, that helped do the manual work humans once did. Many homes in the UK were getting a maid robot, as who does like cleaning? Robots were also starting to think for themselves, and this meant that they started doing jobs where they needed analytical work. This worried mom as she wondered if there would be a robot teacher sometime in the future. 

Dad committed suicide on Valentine's day. This was a shock and I was both sad and mad. How could Dad leave me in that way? I still needed him. I knew that he was a recluse and spent most of his time in virtual reality. I knew that he seldom had time for me. However, he was my Dad. I knew he was sad and never really came to terms with the divorce. At the funeral, all I could think about was if I helped him enough. 

Svenja refused to move in with us. He said he would live with his boyfriend. This gave me new things to think about and learn to accept.

A strange thing this year was they said that fish was now becoming scarce. Overfishing had reduced the population of the fish. On top of this, culture change has also meant that the fish was significantly smaller compared to the size they were before. 

* * *

**2035**   
_**I was 15 years old.** _

It was announced that the American economy was in a dire state. Unemployment was going up. This was the same as every other country. I was amazed that 10 million jobs were lost in the USA just because of self-driving cars. Is new technology good? In a way, new technology is the answer to the problems the world is experiencing. However, humans felt like they needed to work. They felt like they needed to achieve things. I suppose there are always two sides to every coin. 

The British economy was also under pressure. Unemployment was also high and the government received less in taxes. This was problematic, as expenses grew and grew. The average earned was also earning less. This made people poorer at a time when food prices and even the price of water was soaring. The government had its traditional expenses, but also needed more money to protect the environment!

One example was the UK was becoming a smaller island. Coaster Erosion has sped up over the last decade and this meant that people had to move as their houses fell into the sea! This was only 800 houses, which in my mind does not sound like it was so many. The reason why it's not that many houses are the government spent a lot of money each year to protect the coast. Even with this, they expect thousands of houses to fall in the sea, as around 7 meters of land is being eaten every year!

Mom has a new boyfriend. She had a few before, but this one is lasting. I don't really speak with him and told mom I don't want him moving in. I had one Dad and I do not want another one. Besides he thought I was boring because I studied a lot. 

I watched the Lion King since I was a little girl. I was sad to see that half the lions were gone by 2015. This was because of hunting and the need for more farmland. Many countries did their best to save the lions, but they had no money and it was estimated that there are only 10,000 left. One doesn't have to be a scientist to understand that Lions will soon be something you can only see in a zoo. This made it hard for me to see Lion King anymore, as it reminded me of the huge crimes mankind is doing against animals and nature. 

Sven was now 18 and he mostly hung around with his friends. He never visited us. I was worried about him. Was he getting into trouble? I have seen him downtown one day drinking with a group of others. I smiled and greeted him and expected a hug. Svenja looked at me and then joked to the others that he did not even know me! This hurt a lot. I have lost loved ones due to death, but not when they were alive and did not want others to know we were related

* * *

_**To be continued** _


	4. Chapter 4

**2036**   
_**I was 16 years old.** _

Once again, I was depressed and prone to anxiety attacks. I now took anti-depression medicine, sleeping tablets, allergy medicine, and anxiety tablets. Grandpa was very worried about me, and even said that I have more medicine than he does! I don't know why I always felt that way. The media said that more and more children and teens get depression. Who would expect anything else in the rapidly changing world?

There was good news. There was now a cure for Alzheimer's disease which robbed many people of dignity. I had a friend at school that had a grandpa with this disease. He would forget things and needed a lot of help. I did not know him, but it was so nice that people could be cured now. Grandpa was right when he said that there should always be hope. The world was changing. The humans were smart enough to adapt to these changes. People that were not a pessimist and could see hope would change the world.

Grandpa also showed this to me when he spoke with me one day. He told me that a group of people that lived in the apartment block would be making a garden there. We could grow our vegetables and share what grew. We could also grow plants and vegetables on our balcony. So both Grandpa and I spent a lot of time getting our hands dirty. The results were incredible. It felt like a miracle seeing things grow. It was great that the once ugly apartment block now looked so alive! 

The greatest thing was that Grandpa taught me that we cannot feel depressed and worried. With hope and hard work, we could make a change. The result was that I was laughing and smiling more than I ever was. I stopped taking the medicine for depression and anxiety. I felt like I was born again. 

Grandpa got sick and was on his deathbed. I was constantly by his side. Even Sven came to visit Grandpa. We never talked about Grandpa dying. I refused to believe that he would die. We talked about our garden all the time and he reminded me that happiness comes with the small things in life. His life left him bit by bit every day. I still could not accept that he was leaving me, He even stopped talking and it was like a waiting game. I did not leave his side. I could not believe it when he stopped breathing. The doctor came and pronounced him dead. I screamed and cried that the doctor was mistaken, my grandpa was not dead!

The funeral was so sad. I could not stop crying and could not believe that man that influenced me the most was now gone. Even Sven came to the funeral. He looked like he was high and was so shabby. When he did speak with me, it was not about grandpa but to ask me for money. 

Life continued despite that Mom and I took a long time to grieve. I followed Grandpa's advice and continued trying to see the good things about life. I continued taking care of the garden on the balcony. Mom even started helping. This was a good thing as it made me a lot closer to mom. We would talk about everything.

I remember that we ate our first vegetables. It was a huge celebration for us. This was at a time when London now had 10 million people and there was a growing nationalism in the country, as immigrants that did not look British were despised. 

* * *

**2037**   
_**I was 17 years old.** _

It was hard having hope as Grandpa said. I would soon be finished with school and this meant that I would need to find out what I wanted to do in the future. The problem was that unemployment has never been so high. You could not get a traditional manufacturing job, and even jobs in the stores, banks, and offices we impossible to get. Everything was being automized. There was less and less need for humans to work. I could not imagine myself unemployed all my life. This fear made me study more. 

The alternative was starting on the medication again, and I refused to do that.

I did not have lots of friends, but this year I had a new friend in the USA. Her name was Sharon and she was the same age as me and noticed the world was very mad at humans. The weather changed a lot in the USA. The winters were very cold and spring was flooding. Summer would bring drought and winter would bring hurricanes. She wrote that they were worse every year! The economy was getting worse every year. Sharon did not have a lot of hope for the future. I told Sharon how Grandpa told us that without hope, things would be worse. 

Mom got married during the summer. He has lived with us for a few years. I still had no relationship with him and did not want one. I honestly thought mom got married too soon after Dad's death. Her new husband was not bad. He treated mom well and was even nice to me. I just did not need him. I had a dad and he lived in my heart. 

This year ended with bad news. For the first time in history, there was no ice in the artic. It all melted, mostly due to humans. The consequences will not be too good. The water would raise a lot and this would affect hundreds of cities and towns across the world. 

* * *

**2038**   
_**I was 18 years old.** _

This was the year that would determine my life. I had my final exams at school. So this year was no fun and all study. Sharon wrote to me what is the use of studying. The world was falling apart and there would be no jobs for us!

There was a lot of talk about garbage this year. In the last 30 years, it has increased by 70%. A lot of it was put in landfills. The garbage debate started because there was so much garbage at these landfills, that there were landfills that had landslides and people were killed and houses were destroyed. This mainly happened in the poorer countries. There was a way to renew the garbage or use it for energy, but these countries did not have money for it.

Twenty percent of the country was now Muslims, and this was starting to make the situation very tense in the UK. This was especially after they wanted more Muslim laws in the country. This caused a lot of fear and tension as people were afraid of what these laws would be. The thing was that normal people knew very little about the Muslims except for what we have seen on the news. This was either some Jihad or about women being discriminated against. British society was changing very quickly. 

I got top grades in my final exams. I wish that Grandpa and dad could see it. Mom and her new husband were so happy and proud. I was also very proud. 

The end of this year ended badly. Sven died of an overdose. I knew that he had a lot of problems and was with the wrong crowd. I was never very close to him but he was my brother. The feeling that everyone I loved ended up dying was once dominating my life. I admit that I did not cry a lot for Svenjas death. I was a bit mad that he just wasted his life. What did he have to show for his life?

* * *

**2039**   
_**I was 19 years old.** _

I decided to take a year off before I went to university. I think my brain needed a break as all I could think about was why work so hard when I would be left alone at the end. I only had mom left and was afraid that she would die soon. 

I went to the USA and visited Sharon. We were chatting on the net for a few years. It was great to finally meet her. She had a huge family and lived in a huge house. Everything in the USA was big. Sharon had huge plans. She wanted to be a politician as she said that was the best way we could adapt to the changing world. This surprised me as sometimes when we chatted, it was like she had no hope. Now she wanted to change the world.

The shops were half-empty which surprised me. Sharon explained that the constant extreme weather has destroyed farming. It was the same story as last year. Huge rainfall and hurricanes and storms and forest fires and drought were becoming worse and worse. 

Before I left, we were all told suddenly to go down to the basement. A tornado suddenly was close by. I could hear noises as we hid in the dark basement. It was like there was a war outside. I will admit that I was very afraid. Sharon tried to console me and said this was common. She always was happy that the house was standing when the storm passed. 

I was not only together with Sharon. Her brother was a few years older than me. I blushed every time I saw him as he was so cute. I think I was in love, but I did not say anything. It was only the night before I left that David admitted that he told me that he fancied me, and thought he was in love. 

On the way back to the UK, I thought about flying over the ocean. As more and more minerals were being used up on land, they have been developing new mining submarines that could mine for things in the deep oceans. I suppose our industries needed raw materials, but it made me think that we were now destroying the sea as well as the land. 

* * *

**2040**   
_**I was 20 years old** _

I did not speak with my few friends that I had at school. They spent all their days in virtual reality. They just had to wear a helmet and spend all day in a world where they felt comfortable. While in the past, this was a hobby, it has overtaken many people's lives now. It was now being called a total reality. Many professionals were afraid of this. I did not want to be caught in this trap of a virtual world. I think it was more important that we lived in the real world. At the same time, I did not judge those that do this. It was an escape from the dying world we live in. 

I was ready to study. It was tough choosing what career I wanted. I did not want machines to take over my work. I studied to be a journalist. Studying at the journalist school was one of the happiest times of my life. I met many good friends. 

It was now a bad time for people with allergies. This was due to the climate changes that effected weather and temperatures. In the last 40 years, the pollen count has doubled. This did not affect me that much. I suffered more when I was a child. Now they had new medicines that helped to give me a normal life. It was like what Grandpa said.... the world changes and we must learn to adapt. 

The big event this year was the collapse of the EU (European Union). Rising global temperatures have caused many climate disasters that are becoming worse and worse. Many from Africa try to cross the Mediterranean to seek a better life. This has been happening since I was a baby. The EU never has done much about it, causing a huge strain on countries like Greece, Italy, and Spain. The UK withdrew from the EU before I was born and this seemed to be a wise decision. The situation was now that countries could not speak with each other. Each country had enough of its problems!

This made me think that the world was becoming more fragile and dangerous

* * *

_**To be continued** _


	5. Chapter 5

**2041**   
**I was 21 years old.**

The news is as sad as it ever was. We now know that the global average temperature has now risen by 2%, which means that the world is doomed. In some areas, the temperature is much higher. The artic is now free from sea ice for most of the year!  
In America, it is just as bad, forest fires and the increased heat has caused havoc to agriculture in the South, soya beans have been halved. The warmer temperature means more insects such as bark beetles, which is now devastating forests. This is causing problems for the fauna and animals such as bears  
Europe is also in trouble. For the first time in a million years, there is no ice in the alps. This ice has been important, as it provided water and gave power to hydro plants for electricity. Now there are shortages of water and electricity. The Mediterranean now has an average of 6 extra weeks of heatwaves.   
In South America, there is a huge lack of water. This has meant a huge decline in coffee production and many refugees trying to get to the USA.  
Asia has huge water shortages. In fact, there is a worry that India and Pakistan will go to war over water. India has its own problem. Bangladesh is constantly being flooded, so India has a million refugees trying to get in. 

  
Developing regions are disproportionately affected by climate change, and Africa is the worst-hit location of all. Biblical-scale droughts are becoming the norm here, with much of the continent hit by serious declines in agricultural yields. In Mali, three-quarters of the population is starving. In the Western Pacific, Tuvalu is now sharing the same fate as the Maldives: much of the island nation has been inundated. The evacuations from here and other low-lying regions are now a regular feature on the news.

  
I moved out this year to get my own flat. I would miss living with mom, but she was also old fashioned. Like when the news has shown a machine that could think by itself, mom thought this meant the end of the world. I thought that she needed to have some hope. Maybe machines wouldn't decide things that would kill mother earth as we have done.   
I still studied, but things were not that boring. I spoke with my American friend a few times a week and I spoke with her brother every day! David was becoming more than a special friend. 

* * *

  
**2042**   
**22 years old**

  
I started the year with depression. The world is changing so much and the governments around the world have no guts to change things. We could have acted 50 years ago and the world would not be so sick as it is today! Governments cant think that far. They can only think about the new election. 

  
All over the world, people are starving. The huge climatic changes have meant that agriculture has been effected. Farmers can no longer grow crops where they once have and they are too slow to find new crops that will grow. In developing countries, they do not have the money to adapt to changes. Besides this, the growing amount of migrants and refugees have put pressure on feeding them. I think this is shocking. It's shocking to think that in the USA, the richest country in the world, millions of people are malnutrition!

  
I did get good news this year. I have been speaking with Sharon's brother since I visited him in the USA. We have become very close. I do not know if it is love or not. David is now living with me and this has been great. He makes me smile, which is important as I am prone to get depressions. He tells me that I worry too much about the world. 

Despite unemployment is so high, the government has announced that the retirement age is being increased to 70 and they plan at one stage to increase it to 75! This is because we are living longer. I think a major factor is that there have been fewer births, and the older generation is becoming larger and larger. The system simply cannot pay for retirement as it once had. I am still young but expect I will never retire. 

  
Mom shocked us this year. Despite being middle-aged, she had a baby girl. I am now a big sister. I honestly am confused about what I think about this. Can middle-aged women be good mothers? It seems like people think so as it is not that uncommon that women now wait to have a baby. 

  
A volcano erupted in Japan. This turned out to be some good news, as Japan was prepared for it. This means that the death levels were very low and Japan is sure that they will recover quickly. 

* * *

  
**2043**   
**23 years old**

  
This year started with a major change in my life. I want to make a difference in the world and this means that studying is just making me impatient. I started my own youtube channel where I talk about how the earth is suffering and how each of us needs to make a difference. Everyone thought I was daft for doing this. However, the channel took off and I have enough sponsors and paying subscribers to make a living. 

  
The world always had superpowers, and it seems as if the balance is changing during these years. The USA used to be the superpower of the world, however, the climate changes there have caused so many problems that the country has been in decline. They can hardly feed their own people! The once fertile lands in the mid-USA is now a dust bowl. All over the world, the lack of water is causing severe problems. 

  
Both Canada and Russia have closed their borders this year. This is because they have now become two superpowers where it concerns food and water. Russia can now grow food in Siberia and it has a huge supply of freshwater. Canada can boast about the same!

  
Some scientists think that we should move to another planet. The race is on and the moon and Mars will have the first bases outside earth. This plan has had new energy this year when scientists provided proof that there was life on a distant planet. They are talking about small organics that are present. This gives hope that we could move to these planets at some stage.   
This discovery will affect our culture here on Earth in the coming years. First, we are not alone. It will impact religions a lot as they will have to question a lot of their beliefs. 

  
I would only hope that we learn from our history and not damage any planet we will move into. It is sad to read that many animals and plants that I knew as a child are now extinct or close to extinction!

* * *

  
**2044**   
**24 years old**

  
This year started with something good. David proposed to me and I agreed to be his wife. It was a strange and happy time. My youtube show was a depressing show, on how the world was on its death bed. Now I was talking about getting married. I suppose there is hope in the world. 

  
I decided to travel to Africa and have a special report on how Africa was. This was a shocking and bad experience. The first thing I noticed was the migrant camps. They were people that wanted to travel to Europe thinking that life would be better there. The living conditions were dire. There was hardly any water or food. The migrants lived in fear as the crime was high and the death toll was extremely high. The rest of Africa was also in chaos. The Sahara desert was expanding. Agriculture was under a press and there was a lack of freshwater. There is a huge social difference between the rich and the poor. The poor conditions are getting worse and worse. It does not help that the birth rate is so high. Africa is overcrowded and cannot feed itself. Even David could not see any hope here. 

  
My popularity really soared after these special shows. I now had to get used to being a youtube celebrity. 

  
I do not see why this Africa special has shocked so many. For the vast majority of human history, the Earth's population stayed below 100 million. The world population was now 9 billion. Asia and Africa have the greatest growth while Europe has had a low birth rate for decades. This does not mean that Europe is saved. It is an ageing population with few people to support the old people. Otherwise, the big question is how can the world support more people. The world can't even support them that we have now. 

  
The UK has long controlled immigration in the last half-century. On top of that, the UK has become decentralised and had a goal of self-sufficient. The results are the UK is better equipped than most of the world. We have rationed water long before others and we do not depend on foreign support like Asia, the Middle East and Africa... and even South European countries  
The good thing is the population growth is now levelling off. 

* * *

  
**2045**   
**25 years old**

  
As the number of refugees fleeing from environmental changes has gone up, several countries have closed their borders. Russia has closed its border and this really affects China, which has many Climate refugee camps close to the border. Canada has closed its borders and The US and UK maintain its closed borders they had in decades. Southern Europe still has closed borders. There is a growing fear that governments will use force and even bullets to enforce their borders. I fear that there will be bloodshed. 

  
In the USA, whites are now the minority. I do not know why this was major news, as I never considered a person colour important. However, it seems to be very important in the USA, where white supremacists are becoming more visible. This will mean a lot of innocent people are being hurt, and the country will be more split. 

  
My friend there is now in politics as a Republican. She is very conservative and a protectionist as well as believing in small government. The problem is that demography has also changed the way Americans think. They are more liberal now and the Democrats and Green party are now the major parties. It will be hard for Sharon to be elected for anything. 

  
David and I got married this year, which is quite unusual as fewer and fewer people are getting married. I am deeply in love with him and I think our marriage has made this love more special

* * *

_**To be continued.** _


End file.
